Hawaii

Hawaii – the aloha state. It brings to mind the lushness of a tropical paradise – the perfect vacation whether for romance or for sport. Hawaii is the sunbather’s delight with beaches like Waikiki, perhaps the world’s most famous beach, people come from all across the globe to see and be seen on Hawaii’s sand. The warm waters are perfect for snorkelling, scuba diving, surfing or just floating around drinking pina colada’s all day long. If the water isn’t for you there are plenty of other interesting things to see and do.

There are volcano tours by foot and by helicopter. Soak up the ancient Hawaiian culture in some of the cultural city tours and learn about the Hawaiian way of life and the histories of the Hawaiian people. Hawaii was discovered by Polynesian settlers between the 3rd and 7th centuries A.D. and later by the British explorer Captain James Cook in 1778. Did you know that during the Hawaiian Monarchy, Hawai`i's population was among the most literate in the world? Take a tour of Hawai`i's `Iolani Palace. It is the only royal residence in the United States of America.

Hawai‘i is a string of 137 islands with a total land area of 6,422.6 square miles in the north central Pacific Ocean about 2,400 miles from the west coast of the continental United States. Extending from northwest to southeast, the major islands are: Ni‘ihau, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, Kaho‘olawe, Maui and Hawai‘i. Mark Twain once described them as "the loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean." The capital of Hawaii is Honolulu, and is located on the Island of O‘ahu.

Hawai‘i's climate features mild temperatures, moderate humidity and cooling trade winds. Visions of lazy afternoons in a hammock watching the palm trees sway from the cool breeze while thinking about what tomorrow has in store come to mind. How about a fishing charter, or snorkelling for the morning and then trying some sea kayaking in the afternoon? Everything sounds perfect when your in Hawai’i.

Exotic animals and plants make Hawaii a beautiful and unique place. Many species are not found anywhere else in the world. Hawaii is considered the United States’ endangered species capitol.

Everyone loves Hawaii - just shy of 7 million visitors stayed in Hawaii overnight or longer in 2000 – most coming from the continental U.S. and Japan.